This Side Up!
by inkywings
Summary: Ever wonder why popcorn packets say "This Side Up!"? Luffy doesnt know. Nor does he care. Cute one-shot with lots of humor and all that good stuff!


Me: Second piece of OP writing. Man, I'm really getting into writing One Piece ;;. Well, it's just a short little one-shot that answers a question we all want to know but never thought to ask: "Why does the bag of popcorn say 'Place this side up!'?"

_Kitchen_

**Grumble**

Luffy poked his stomach as it gurgled loudly again. Looking over at his first mate he said, "Zoro, I'm hungry!"

The green haired pirate, who had been trying to sleep and ignore the constant grumbling from his captain's over-sized stomach, opened an eye and said, "Then wait for that shitty cook to get back."

"But Sanji won't be back for another hour!" Luffy whined, rocking back and forth on the floor, legs sitting pretzel style with his hands wrapped around his ankles.

"Then go get something to eat yourself," Zoro growled, closing his eyes again. "Now leave me alone, I'm trying to sleep."

Luffy blinked and then his face lit up in a wide grin. "Okay!" he practically shouted. Jumping to his feet, he ran across the deck at lightning speed and slammed the door shut behind him as he climbed down into the kitchens.

"Finally, some peace and quiet," Zoro mumbled, only faintly worrying over what kind of disaster Luffy could get himself into.

Cabinets spilled open as box and bottle alike crashed and spilled onto the floor as the teen cleared the shelves, looking for something edible.

Spices, _crash_. Cans, _splatter_. Flour, _poof_.

"Damnit, if the stupid cook can make food, why can't I?" Luffy mused angrily. He found a lot of food, but none that looked any good. Just a bunch of jars of cold sauce, cold vegetables and such. Maybe he had underestimated Sanji... nah!

Luffy sighed, but did not give up. He continued to dump the shelves contents on the floor (he could clean it up later!) until he came across a blue box. Arm stretching up, literally, he pulled down a box of blue packets. "Popcorn," he read from the label. The picture showed what Sanji sometimes made for a snack, so he decided to give it a try!

"Zoro can have some, too!" Luffy exclaimed happily, pulling out a packet of popcorn. He tore off the plastic wrapping and unfolded it. "'This side up!'," he read. "Hmm... it must be so it makes less popcorn, then you have to buy more," he said to himself thoughtfully. So ignoring the directions, he plopped the packet upside down and into the microwave, the machine Luffy saw Sanji use multiple times.

He picked up the box again. "Microwave on high for five minutes on low heat," he repeated. "But I want food now!" he grumbled before his face lit up with a sudden idea. "I know, I can put it on high instead for only two minutes!"

Clapping his hands as if he has just figured out something it would take a genius years to comprehend, he punched in the buttons on the microwave. And just for extra 'flavor', he pressed other buttons like "DEFROST" and "BROIL". A few extra buttons never hurt anybody!

He bent down and watched as the tray revolved his soon to be tasty treat round and round, eyes constantly twirling with the spinning motion.

**POP!**

Luffy laughed in success. "It's working!" He watched carefully.

**POPPOPPOP!**

"It's popping really fast!" Luffy pointed out to no one in particular. Then the bag gave a jolt... then another and another, each jump higher then the last. Luffy just laughed. "Look, it's dancing!"

A blue shock of electricity zapped at the bag, making it hiss violently and bang around in the small confinements of the microwave. It sputtered melting butter from leaking cracks of the paper bag, the package getting weaker and weaker with each passing hit.

"Thirty seconds left!" Luffy exclaimed. Black smoke started billowing from the tiny white box, popcorn sizzling and popping madly. Luffy pulled down a plastic bowl and stood at the ready for the popcorn, eyes closed as his smile took up the only extra room on his face.

The microwave continued to hiss and bang, letting out random pops and electric bolts, black smoke billowing form the cracks until finally the thing **BEEPED** that the popcorn was ready and a black and charred lump flew into the air.

"GOTCHA!" Luffy shouted as his arms stretched out with the bowl and catching the black meteor-like object.

Zoro woke up at the smell of something burning. "Oh great," he grumbled, standing up and stretching. He had a bad feeling about what his friend had done.

He walked down the steps and opened the kitchen door only to gag from the thick smoke that flowed around the room.

Coughing, he stepped inside to see if Luffy was okay, only to find Luffy standing there, covered in black ash that seemed to have come from an explosion. A charred piece of crumbled metal lay where could have sworn there was a microwave. And in the center of it all stood a beaming Luffy holding up a bowl of what appeared to be black coal.

"Look, Zoro!" Luffy said excitedly. "Look, I made some popcorn for us to share!"

Zoro raised an eyebrow at the black stuff Luffy was currently shoving in front of his nose. "This... is popcorn?"

"Yup!" Luffy said cheerfully. "I made some for you, too! I made it extra special, pressed all the buttons!"

Zoro had an amused expression on his face. He was happy that the damn chef would have a major clean up job ahead of him, but slightly scared as to what would happen if he actually ate the 'popcorn'.

"What... you don't like it?" Luffy said, his face faltering.

Zoro raised his hand and shoved it into the bowl. Luffy beamed as Zoro stuffed a handful of the 'popcorn' into his mouth and began to chew ... very slowly.

With what seemed to be great difficulty, Zoro swallowed the black stuff; it tasted like burnt tar! But all the less, he smiled at Luffy and said, "Thanks, Luffy. Tastes good."

Luffy beamed and dropped the bowl, hugging his first mate tightly around the neck. "YAY, ZORO LIKES IT!"

Who said you had to put the bag of popcorn "This side up!"?

_End_

Digi: And as you can see, this is the reason why you never see a microwave in the Straw Hats kitchen.

Me: Hahaha, I liked that! And seriously, that's what'll happen if you put a bag of popcorn upside down. It jumps around everywhere and turns out all black... not that I've ever done this while pressing all the buttons (shifty eyes). Heeheehee, review please ;;.


End file.
